Life Skills & Narratives: Relationships Come With An Expiry Date..

Relationships Come With an Expiry Date

— And That’s Not Always a Bad Thing

Let’s talk about something many of us silently carry:

The ache of staying in a relationship long after it has run its course.

We don’t leave at the first sign of discomfort. We stay.

We tell ourselves stories to justify the silence, the absence, the constant emotional juggling.

“Maybe I’m expecting too much.”

“Maybe he’s just going through a phase.”

“Maybe love means holding on, no matter what.”

But here’s what life—and perhaps some heartbreak—teaches us:

Not all relationships are meant to last forever.

That doesn’t mean they weren’t real. Or meaningful. Or beautiful in their own season.

It simply means they served their purpose… and now, they may no longer fit the version of you that has grown, evolved, and awakened.

The Conditioning We Don’t Talk About

Especially for women, the script has been tightly written for centuries.

Be the giver. The forgiver. The peacekeeper.

Make room. Adjust. Accommodate. Stay.

And so, we do.

Even when it chips away at our joy.

Even when we feel more lonely in company than in solitude.

Even when we feel unseen in a relationship that once made us feel whole.

We call it compromise. We call it love.

But sometimes, it’s just fear wrapped in habit.

Fear of being alone.

Fear of being judged.

Fear of hurting someone else.

Fear that maybe, just maybe… we’ll never find someone again.

But what if—hear me out—leaving doesn’t mean you stopped loving?

What if it just means… you started loving yourself more?

When Love Begins to Expire

Relationships rarely end with a dramatic slam of the door.

Most often, they expire slowly—like milk left too long in the fridge.

There’s no single moment. Just a growing discomfort, a dull ache, a loss of warmth.

And still, we hang on.

But here’s a truth we don’t say enough:

Clinging to something that’s broken doesn’t make you loyal.

It makes you tired.

It starts to stink—emotionally.

The resentment. The exhaustion. The emotional disconnect.

And eventually, the very bond you’re trying to protect begins to rot from within.

The Courage to Let Go

Walking away isn’t easy.

Even when your heart knows it’s the right thing to do, your feet might still hesitate.

Because there’s history. Memories. Plans. People. Families. Dreams.

But your heart also knows this:

You cannot heal in the same space where you were hurt.

Letting go doesn’t mean the relationship was a mistake.

It simply means its time is up.

Some relationships are not your forever story—they’re your chapter of becoming.

They teach you how to love. How to forgive.

How to find your voice. How to choose peace over pleasing.

And that’s a gift too.

What Real Relationships Should Feel Like

A good relationship isn’t a rescue mission. It’s not a puzzle piece to complete you.

It’s not meant to shrink you, silence you, or make you doubt your worth.

It should feel like breathing.

Like rest.

Like home.

It should challenge you to grow, not beg you to shrink.

It should offer safety, not walking-on-eggshells silence.

It should be about complementing each other, not completing each other.

So, If You’re in That Place Today…

If you’re torn between staying and leaving, between love and loyalty, between guilt and growth—pause.

Ask yourself:

Am I staying because it brings me peace?

Or because I’m afraid of what lies on the other side?

Know this—

It’s okay to outgrow a relationship.

It’s okay to choose yourself.

It’s okay to love someone… and still walk away.

Some relationships are love stories.

Others are life lessons.

Either way, they help shape the person you’re becoming.

And if today is the day you decide to set yourself free—

Let it be not from anger…

But from wisdom.

From love.

For you.